The Disability and Employment Survey: Assessing Employment Concerns among People with Disabilities and Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Abstract

The Disability and Employment Survey (DES) was constructed to assess concerns that may be experienced by people with disabilities when seeking employment, with attention paid to the concerns of racial and ethnic minorities. Consisting of 32 items, the development of the DES was informed by focus group data from a culturally-diverse sample. When reviewed by a team of disability researchers, service providers, attorneys, and advocates, the DES demonstrated adequate face validity. Reliability analysis with 279 adults with disabilities resulted in a Cronbach's alpha of .91. Principal-components factor analysis indicated that the DES is comprised primarily offour factors: (a) Job Readiness Concerns, (b) Language Concerns, (c) Environmental Concerns, and (d) Health, Financial, and Familial Concerns, with these factors accounting for 49.8% of the total variance. Employment concerns varied by participants' race/ethnicity, academic attainment, current employment status, prior work history, and monetary beneficiary status.